Lay
English Pronunciation * , , * * * Etymology 1 Old English lecgan, from Germanic. A causative form of lie. Cognate with Dutch leggen, German legen, Swedish lägga. Verb # To place something down in a position of rest. # To cause to subside or abate. #*'1590', Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.viii: #*:The cloudes, as things affrayd, before him flye; / But all so soone as his outrageous powre / Is layd, they fiercely then begin to shoure .... # To leave something somewhere. # To prepare (e.g., the groundwork, the table). # To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another. #: ''lay brick'' #: ''lay flooring'' # To produce and deposit an egg. # To wager that an event will not take place. # To have sex with. Antonyms * back Derived terms * lay a finger on * lay a foundation * lay an egg * lay about * lay away * lay bare * lay-by/lay by * lay claim * lay down * lay hands on * lay-in * lay into * lay low * layoff * lay on the line * lay on the table * lay out * lay siege * lay the groundwork * lay to rest * lay up * lay waste * get laid Translations * Arabic: * Chinese: *: Mandarin: , , * Danish: * Dutch: * Finnish: , , * French: * German: * Indonesian: meletakkan, menempatkan * Italian: , * Japanese: 置く (おく, oku), 産む (うむ) * Lojban: punji * Old English: * Russian: , * Slovene: * Spanish: * Swedish: * Turkish: * Italian: * Slovene: * Spanish: * Italian: * Slovene: * Spanish: * Turkish: * Finnish: * French: * Italian: * Lojban: se jbena, seljbe * Spanish: * Turkish: * German: * Spanish: , * Swedish: Etymology 2 From the verb. Noun # Arrangement or relationship; layout. #: the lay of the land (rather than the standard the lie of the land). # The direction a rope is twisted. #: Worm and parcel with the '''lay'; turn and serve the other way.'' # A casual sexual partner. #: What was I, just another '''lay' you can toss aside as you go on to your next conquest?'' # A ballad or sung poem. #: 1805 The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Sir Walter Scott Synonyms : See WikiSaurus:promiscuous woman Translations arrangement or relationship * Dutch: ligging Etymology 3 From Adjective # Non-professional, not being a member of an organized institution (e.g. scientific lay person). #: A lay judge: a judge selected from among the people, usually to sit alongside professional judges.Scrap lay judge system: lay judge The Japan Times # Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them. #: They seemed more '''lay' than clerical.'' #: A lay brother: A monk who has not fully entered into the monastic life and vows. '' 'The male branch of the Franciscan family, a community of Lesser Brothers, is made up of men who are both clergy and consecrated laity traditionally called "lay brothers".' WHY A LAY BROTHER? Franciscan friars Related terms * laity * layman Translations * Czech: * Dutch: leken- * Finnish: * German: Laien- * Italian: , * Portuguese: * Swedish: lek- * Dutch: leken-, wereldlijk * Finnish: * German: Laien- * Italian: , * Old English: * Swedish: lek- * : laikus Etymology 4 : ''See lie Verb lay # when pertaining to position. #: The baby '''lay' in its crib and slept silently.'' Derived terms * layabout Etymology 5 from , of origin, from * from from . Akin to , , . Noun # a short song # a short poem or narrative, one usually intended to be sung Derived terms * layoff Anagrams * Category:English irregular verbs Category:English words with multiple etymologies ---- Malagasy Etymology Common Malayo-Polynesian, compare Indonesian layar Noun # sail References ca:lay et:lay el:lay es:lay eu:lay fr:lay gl:lay hr:lay io:lay it:lay kn:lay ku:lay lo:lay lt:lay li:lay hu:lay ml:lay my:lay ja:lay pl:lay pt:lay ru:lay simple:lay fi:lay ta:lay te:lay tr:lay uk:lay vi:lay wo:lay zh:lay